Robert C. Byrd: Senator, Statesman, West Virginian – A Major Traveling Exhibit

By Ray Smock
            The Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education is pleased to announce that a major traveling exhibit on the life and career of Senator Byrd will premiere at Shepherd University in April, 2016, before heading out to venues across West Virginia and the nation’s capital during 2016 and 2017. This is the first initiative in our two-year plan of events, conferences, and publications, leading up to the commemoration of the centennial anniversary of Senator Byrd’s birth in November 2017.
              The exhibit shares the story of the longest serving United States Senator: his early life and entrance into politics; his devotion to family and to West Virginia and her people; his public service and rise to leadership positions in the U.S. Senate; and the Senator’s role as defender of the U.S. Constitution. Additionally, the exhibit highlights Senator Byrd’s role as a legislator who benefited the people of West Virginia and the nation. The exhibit features documents and photographs from the extensive Robert C. Byrd Congressional Papers Collection, housed in the archives of the Byrd Center.
               The exhibit is comprised of four free-standing fixtures. An introductory fixture displays information about the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education. The second (main) fixture presents a narrative view of Senator Byrd’s life and career, with three main sections: “From Coalfields to Congress,” “Party Leader and Statesman,” and “West Virginia’s Billion Dollar Industry.” The third fixture highlights Senator Byrd’s faith, his skill as an Appalachian fiddler, his historical scholarship, and his defense of the U.S. Constitution. A fourth fixture includes the many projects in West Virginia for which Senator Byrd obtained appropriations. The exhibit is designed to be versatile so that it can be displayed in a number of layouts and spaces.
              For more information about the exhibit and its schedule please contact Dr. Jay Wyatt at:  jwyatt@shepherd.edu